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Where’s hot in September: Head to these spots to catch some late summer sun
Forget back to school and get back to the sun
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Your support makes all the difference.September can be blissful in continental Europe, when temperatures are still pleasantly high but the heaving crowds will have dispersed. Heated by the sun all summer, seas and lakes are gloriously warm, even if some beach resorts start to pack away the sun loungers in early September. Prices become more reasonable too once the kids have gone back to school. Here are a few suggestions for a late-summer escape, along with some ideas for a December break in the sun.
Go now
Italy
Soak up the sun along Italy’s Adriatic coast in Abruzzo. Villa Maria d’Abruzzo is just 10 minutes from Pescara airport but is set on a 10-acre hilltop garden, with views of the sea and the surrounding olive groves and pine forests. A shuttle bus takes you to its private beach five minutes away, and the spa includes indoor and outdoor pools. Long Travel (long-travel.co.uk) has a week’s B&B from £316pp, including transfers, for departures throughout September. Flights are extra but can be arranged.
Budapest
Hungary’s capital is alluring all year round, but September is an excellent time to relax in the ramshackle gardens of ‘Pest’s ruin bars (i.e. drinking dens in abandoned buildings) and wallow in the warm waters of the outdoor spas. Come from 7-10 September and you can visit during the annual Budapest Wine Festival. Just around the corner from the Hungarian National Museum is Brody House, a fun, funky hotel with only seven rooms. I-escape (i-escape.com) has a three-night break for £291 for the room throughout September.
Greece
Summer lasts for quite a long time in Paxos, the smallest of the Ionian islands. It’s not the easiest place to get to, but that’s part of its charm. On a hillside of olive groves overlooking the tiny capital, Gaios, is two-bedroom Villa Anastasia, whose pool and terrace have gorgeous views of the village and the Ionian Sea. Vintage Travel (vintagetravel.co.uk) has a week’s rental on 11 September for £1,535, which includes transfers from Corfu.
Azores
Summer is still going strong in this Atlantic archipelago and autonomous region of Portugal. Head to the largest island, Sao Miguel, for a week in the historic capital Ponta Delgada. From here it’s a short drive to the island’s enchanting volcanic crater lakes. Sunvil (sunvil.co.uk) has a week’s holiday at the four-star Antillia Hotel Apartments, which features an outdoor pool and a spa, from £748pp on 23 September. The price includes flights and breakfast.
Book now for December
Mexico
Escape the Christmas madness with a Latin American adventure in Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. Explore (explore.co.uk) has a 15-day group tour that takes in the Unesco city of Oaxaca, the Mayan ruins of Palenque and the colonial beauty of San Cristobal de las Casas before heading off to Guatemala’s Mayan metropolis of Tikal and ending in Belize. There’s limited availability for an 18 December departure for £2,520pp, which rises to £2,779pp the following day. The price includes flights, transport, one breakfast and one dinner.
Barbados
Treat yourself to a pre-Christmas beach break at the adults-only SoCo Hotel on the southern side of Barbados. You’ll be steps away from the Boardwalk at Hastings Beach, and soft white sands are just beyond the outdoor pool. Tropical Sky (tropicalsky.co.uk) has a week’s all-inclusive break from £1,229pp for departures in the first two weeks of December. The price includes flights, transfers and all meals.
Thailand
Northern Thailand in December is supposedly the cool season, which means temperatures of 30C in Chiang Mai – although evenings will be nippy. Selective Asia (selectiveasia.com) has a 12-day Northern Explorer group tour that takes you to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai as well as tranquil villages near the border with Laos and Burma. The starting price of £1,538pp includes accommodation, internal transport, some meals and a guide, and it’s valid for December departures outside the Christmas holidays. International flights are extra but can be arranged.
Mary Novakovich is editor at large at 101holidays.co.uk
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